One of the reasons I spent so much time last week watching the coverage of the Va. Tech shootings, and the way the news was handled by the Collegiate Times, is that I was there a mere 7 days before – on Good Friday – talking to CT student editors about adopting a “web-first” mindset for their news operation. One of the sites we talked about was the Daily at the University of Washington and how they covered a campus shooting a few days earlier using updates, video and multimedia. #

When I left the CT newsroom, the staff seemed genuinely excited about putting the news web site into the center of their operation. They talked about getting digital cameras and audio recorders and assigning “mojo bags” (my term, not theirs) to senior writers and devoting the fall staff training time to multimedia issues. In short, it looked like they were listening, which is always a good thing for an educator. #

Last Monday, they got a bigger test of their commitment to the “web-first” mentality than anyone could have imagined. And they passed – with flying colors. Today, I spoke briefly with Chris Ritter, the online editor for the CT, and he asked for feedback on their coverage. How do you respond to that kind of question? Knowing something of the stress of the situation, the limitations of a student staff, and the paradigm shift that they had been undergoing this semester, I could only suggest some things which – in the grand scheme of things – seemed minor. After all, some people are suggesting the CT should be considered for a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage. All I can say is that I’m honored to have gotten to meet them and talk with them about the future of journalism and their college newspaper. #

I’ve asked Chris to write something for this weblog about their experiences over the last week. As soon as I can, I’ll post it here. #

All our Va. Tech shooting coverage here. #

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